subtle

• The mighty Magnet from the Center darts / This ſtrong, tho' ſubtile Force, thro' all the Parts: / Its active Rays ejaculated thence, / Irradiate all the wide Circumference. - 1712, Richard Blackmore, Creation: A...

1. Of an action or movement: very delicate or slight, and thus barely noticeable; not obvious; inconspicuous, unintrusive.

2. (archaic) Having a delicate or fine substance or texture; hence, exquisite, refined.

3. (archaic) Slender, thin.

4. (archaic) Of a substance: finely powdered; also, of particles of a substance: very fine or small.

5. (archaic) Of weight: after the tare (“weight of an empty container”) has been subtracted; net.

   Antonyms: gross

6. (historical) Of a substance, especially a gas or liquid: of low density or thin consistency; rarefied, tenuous; hence, tending to spread everywhere due to this quality.

7. (nautical, obsolete, rare except historical) Synonym of subtile (“of a ship: narrow, slender”).

   Synonyms: subtile

Antonyms: simple straightforward apparent arrant undoubted glaring bait blatant clear clear as a bell clear as day clear cut conspicuous crystal clear cut and dried decided elucidate evident eyely intuitive manifest notable noticeable obvious

1. Of an argument or concept, words, etc.: requiring one to distinguish between fine points, especially if it is difficult to do so; nice; also (generally), difficult to grasp; not easily understood or obvious.

2. Giving only a slight impression; elusive, indistinct; also, skilfully restrained or understated.

   • The difference between the tones is subtle, but you can hear it if you listen carefully.
   • Although the show gradually grows more subtle, much of the early writing that establishes the characters is so on the nose it hurts. Any time we see Walt [Walter White] in class, it’s certain that what he writes on the...

   Synonyms: dim fuzzy hazy ill-defined ill-marked indefinite indistinct indistinguishable muzzy obscure undefined vague

   Antonyms: acute distinct keen obvious sharp vivid

3. Of an artist, a musician, etc.: having a light touch; sensitive.

4. Of a person: sensitive to the feelings of others; discreet, tactful.

5. Of a person, their intellect or mind, etc.: discerning, perceptive, shrewd, wise.

   • [T]his heauenly foode is giuen for the ſatisfying of our emptie ſoules, and not for the exerciſing of our curious and ſubtle vvits. - 1597, Richard Hooker, “Of the Sacrament of the Body & Bloud of Christ”, in J[ohn]...
   • Lords and Commons of England, conſider vvhat Nation it is vvherof ye are, and vvherof ye are the governours: a Nation not ſlovv and dull, but of a quick, ingenious, and piercing ſpirit, acute to invent, ſuttle and...
   • VVhen ſubtle VVits have ſpun their thred too fine, / Tis vveak and fragile like Arachnes line: […] - 1668, John Denham, “The Progress of Learning”, in Poems and Translations, with The Sophy, London: […] [John Macock]...

   Synonyms: astute clairvoyant deep frood grounded judicious oracular perspicacious politic profound prudent quick-witted reasonable sagacious sage sapient sensible wise witful

   Antonyms: asinine balmy barmy bedaft loony daft derpy dim-headed dim-witted dopey dull-headed dull-witted dumb duncical fatuous fuzzy-headed fuzzy-minded gauvison goofy idiotic idle insipient mookish naive

6. Acting (especially causing harm) in a stealthy, often gradual, manner; insidious.

   • And if King Edward be as true and iuſt, / As I am Subtle, Falſe, and Treacherous, […] - c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies,...
   • As for thee, false friend, subtle fox, unfaithful servant, this long time am I grown weary of thee slinking up and down my palace devising darkly things I know not: thou, that art nought akin to Witchland, but an...

7. (archaic) Of a person or their fingers or hands, their ability, etc.: dexterous, skilful.

8. (archaic) Of a person or animal, or of an action or words: clever or skilful in a crafty or devious way; cunning, sly, wily.

   • If thou thinke thy ſelfe well fenſed and ſure, / Againſt euery ſottle ſuggeſtion of vice, / Conſider fraile glaſſe may no diſtres endure, / And great aduentures oft curſe the dire: […] - a. 1536 (date written), Thomas...
   • By vnion of the Godhed to the manhod, manne was ioyned to God whiche before by the temptacion of the ſubtle ſerpente, was from hym ſegregate and deuided. - a. 1548 (date written), Edward Hall, Richard Grafton, “[The...
   • Yea, rede Terence and Plaut[us] aduiſedlie ouer, and ye ſhall finde in thoſe two wiſe writers, almoſt in euery commedie, no vnthriftie yong man, that is not brought there vnto, by the ſotle inticement of ſom lewd...

   Synonyms: astute artful cautelous crafty cunning devious diabolical foxlike foxy frood guileful shrewd slim sly subtle tricksy tricky vulpine wily

9. (obsolete) Of ground used for bowling: not smooth; uneven.

   • Like to a Bovvle vpon a ſubtle ground / I haue tumbled paſt the throvv: […] - c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies...
   • [V]pon Tityus his breſt, that (for ſixe of the nine acres) is counted the ſubtleſt bovvling-ground in all Tartary. - 1631, [Ben Jonson], Chloridia. Rites to Chloris and Her Nymphs. […], London: […] Thomas Walkley,...

10. (obsolete) Of an object: cleverly contrived or made; also, of a plan, etc.: cleverly contrived or carried out.

• A fire ſubtle ye, are ye ſo crafty. - 1624 (first performance), John Fletcher, Rule a Wife and Have a Wife. A Comoedy. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Leonard Lichfield […], published 1640, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 43: